Nonslipping tread



FRANK H. STAN WOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STANWOOD EQUIFMEN'I COMPANY,- 'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A CORPORATION OF MAINE/ NONSLIPPING TBEAD.

Specification ofLettersPatent. Patented-June 27, 1922.

i Application filed March 31', 19 19. Serial No. 286570.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. STANwoop.

a citizen of the United States, residing in' Chicago, in the county of 'Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nonslipping Treads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to step treads and has more particular reference to non-slipping treads provided for use on the steps or runningboards of automobiles and the like. The principal object of the invention is to provide a step tread which will effectively prevent the slipping of'anyone stepping thereon, as for instance in entering an automobile, and which will be strong durable and unlikely to be damaged prior to placingit in its ultimate location.

The invention has for another object the provision of a step plate which will be sufficiently flexible to prevent breaking under usual handling and yet not sufliciently flexible to permit'the accidental tearing or cracking of the rubber through the bending of the tread.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a step plate which while being flexibfe may be efiectively secured in intended position and against bulging or buc-' kling when in use without requiring that it be cemented in place and without requiring an excessive number of fastening devices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tread which will be light in weight, easily manufactured and of pleasing appearance.

, Other objects and'advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the followin description when considered in connectio with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof. Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a step tread embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged section taken from front to back of the plate; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the reinforce.

For the purposeof illustrating my invention I have shown on the drawing astep tread embodying my invention and comprising a body 11.0f soft pliable material, prefpresent instance being shownas arranged in parallel series each extending .from back to front of the plate. Within the body is pro-' vided a reinforce 13 of material bendable sufficiently to prevent the plate being easily damaged but not bendable sufficiently readily to permit the rubber or other body material to crack in the parts under tension. This sheet is preferably of woven foraminous character, heavy wire screen being excellent for the purpose. It is preferably but not necessarily coated with some vulcanizing agent as copper to permit it to be vulcanized to the contacting faces of the rubber body during the vulcanization of the latter in the mold.

This construction provides a tread light in weight, of unusual strength and one which may be positioned by inserting fastening screws through suitable apertures 14 provided in the rubber and screwing into the step. It will be'manifest that a step plate embodying my invention being when in position relatively stiff and securely fastened will not curl or buckle. i

The present invention is to provide a reticulated and flexible sheet embedded within an exterior body of soft, pliable and resilient material having a series of upstanding, isolated projections. When these projections are engaged by the foot of the user their tendency is to bend to the right or left and thissidewise bending, if not accommodated by a yielding in the'base plate, would result ultimately in a cracking or tearing away of these projections at their point of junction with the main body of which they form a portion. 7 The provision of a reticulated flexible sheet such as mine allows this sidewise bending of the projections to be com pensated for or accommodated by a yielding or bending of the underlying reticulated sheet, with the obvious improved result that the non-slipping projections are thus pre vented from crackmg or tearing-away from the resilient body through prolonged use.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be better understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing sacrificing all of its material advantages, the

;form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim- 1 A non-slipping step tread for automobiles consisting of a reticulated and flexible sheet and an exterior body of soft, pliable and resilient material in which said reticulated sheet is embedded, said body having upstanding and isolated projections for engagement by the foot of the user, whereby the sidewise yielding of said projections is accommodated by a yielding of the underlying portions of the reticulated sheet to prevent the cracking and tearing away of said projections from said body.

Signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK H. S'IANWOOD.

Witnesses J. C. CARPENTER, ETHEL Wool). 

